Too many Americans in general — and African Americans in
particular — are fighting and losing the battle
of the bulge. This is true even among the rich and famous, and with so many legendary
performers having died young due to obesity or weight-related illnesses, we decided to take a minute to look at some
celebs who are playing a dangerous game with their diet and fitness. Here’s
hoping these guys can get things under control without having to go to
extremes. –todd williams
Aretha Franklin
She’s the Queen. She’s a legend. But Aretha’s
ever-ballooning weight should be a cause of concern for everyone. We’ve lost
several legendary artists in recent years, and God forbid, it would be a shame
to see the Queen of Soul added to that list.
At her age, having that kind of weight gain is dangerous.
Mo’Nique
Her well-documented contempt for ‘‘skinny b——”
notwisthstanding, comedienne Mo’Nique should love herself enough to make sure
she’s healthy. That doesn’t mean a size zero, but fitness should be a priority
and flaunting being overweight just for the sake of combating Hollywood’s preoccupation
with being über-thin seems a bit misguided — and maybe even a bit reckless.
Timbaland
Timbo was this close to being a success story. About
three years ago, the hitmaking producer started looking like the Incredible
Hulk with scarily huge muscles bulging out of his neck. But apparently all of
the fuss about performance-enhancers in baseball spooked Tim, because he’s
resurfaced and he’s now even heavier than he was before. With his metabolism
seemingly on a roller coaster, Tim has to be careful and get his weight issues
under control. Instead of beefing up, he probably should just slim down.
Fat Joe
Of course, Fat Joe is but one in a long line of overweight
hip-hop stars; from the Notorious B.I.G., to Eightball, to Heavy D. and, of
course, his late compatriot, Big Punisher. Joe has been known to flaunt his
girth at inopportune times, most infamously at the 2002 MTV Spring Break
special in Cancun, where the Bronx-born rapper took the
stage shirtless. But, after watching his best friend pass away, Joe should take
note and make the effort to slim down and change his diet. He’s still
relatively young, but so was Pun. You can’t take life for granted, and Joe
needs to work to curb the illnesses that will surely come with being
overweight as he ages.
Two Musical Talents That Should Still Be Here …
Barry White
One of the greatest singer-songwriters in the history of
soul music, Barry White’s image was iconic. But the larger-than-life,
bass-voiced maestro didn’t bother to slim down as he got older, and into his
60s, he began to suffer from chronic high blood pressure due to his weight.
This led to kidney failure and he suffered a stroke in 2003. After withdrawing
from public life, he died from renal failure. His loss was unnecessary,
avoidable, and sadly — not unique …
Big Punisher
The rap star wasn’t even 30 when he died from a heart attack
in 2000. Big Pun’s weight had fluctuated for years and peaked at just under 700
pounds at the time of his death and it contributed heavily to his fatal heart
attack at 27.
